LoJack System Helps Delray Beach Police Department Recover a Stolen 2008 Mercedes Benz S-550
- May 26, 2017
- recovery stories
The owner of a 2008 Mercedes Benz S-550 arrived home and parked their car in their driveway. Not feeling well, they mistakenly left the keys in the cup holder and doors unlocked. The next morning they opened the garage door, walked out to the driveway and discovered their Mercedes missing. They contacted the Delray Beach Police Department to report their vehicle stolen. The responding officer prepared a stolen vehicle report, theft affidavit and had the vehicle’s information entered into the state and federal crime information computers which automatically activates the LoJack® System concealed in the Mercedes Benz.
Later that afternoon, while on routine patrol, a Delray Beach PD K-9 officer picked up the silent LoJack signal from the stolen S-550 on their on-board LoJack Police Tracking Computer (PTC) that are installed in law enforcement patrol vehicles, helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. The officer began tracking the stolen Mercedes by following the directional and audible cues on their PTC’s screen.
Perimeter Set, K-9 Teams Assist in Arrest
The officer, along with their backup, confined the Mercedes to a residential community. A perimeter around the community was established. Another K-9 officer located the stolen Mercedes backed into a driveway of a residence. A witness advised that they saw two subjects exit the Mercedes and run south from the location. The K-9 officer and his canine partner began a track from that location. The track led the officer to a location where the subjects climbed a wall into another community. The perimeter was expanded. Shortly thereafter witnesses advised the police that the subjects climbed back over to the first community. One suspect was soon apprehended without incident. The other suspect was running in between the homes in the community. The K-9 officer and partner tracked the suspect in between the homes. As the K-9 officer came around the corner of one of the homes, the canine alerted to the suspect. The suspect was ordered to the ground, refused to obey the command and fled on foot. The K-9 officer deployed their partner to make the apprehension. The canine partner grabbed a hold of the suspect’s shoulder and wrestled with the suspect. The K-9 officer again ordered the suspect to the ground. This time the suspect complied with the officer’s command and was arrested. The Delray Beach Fire Department responded to the scene to treat the suspect. The bitten suspect was transported to the hospital to get medically cleared before being transported to the Palm Beach County Jail. The Mercedes was recovered, removed from state and federal crime information computer systems by the entering agency and released to the owner, who responded to the scene.
The LoJack® System was installed in the 2008 Mercedes Benz S-550 in June 2008 at Mercedes Benz of Pompano Beach in Florida.